Sunday, 19 March 2017

St Joseph Feast Day - break the fast, but still pray

I always look forward to St Josephs Day in Lent. It is about feast not famine. We as Catholics are allowed to break the fast. Now, even though I have Irish Ancestry, I am not Irish, and so I do not break the fast on St Patricks Day. One may also break the fast on St Patricks day if your Parish is dedicated to St Patrick.

As a Family we say a prayer every morning, and in that prayer, we ask Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Families to Intercede for our Family.

On this Feast of St Joseph, I wish to thank St Joseph for his intercession and carrying our prayers to the Throne of God that he may answer positively.

Maybe it is not an accurate image, but I love the painting of the "holy family and dog" by the Spanish Baroque artist Murillo... which i have included here.

Prayer of Pope Leo XIII to St. JosephThis prayer is often said after the Prayer of the Holy
Rosary during the months of March and October.To you, O Blessed Joseph, we come in our trials, and having asked
the help of your most holy spouse, we confidently ask your patronage
also. Through that sacred bond of charity which united you to the
Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the fatherly love with
which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you to look
graciously upon the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased
by his blood, and to aid us in our necessities with your power and
strength.

O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen
children of Jesus Christ. Most beloved father, dispel the evil of
falsehood and sin. Our most mighty protector, graciously assist us
from heaven in our struggle with the powers of darkness. And just as
you once saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger, so now defend
God's Holy Church from the snares of her enemies and from all
adversity. Shield each one of us by your constant protection, so
that, supported by your example and your help, we may be able to
live a virtuous life, to die a holy death, and to obtain eternal
happiness in heaven. Amen.

2 comments:

Five hundred years ago in 1517, Martin Luther made public his 95 complaints against the Roman Catholic church (hereafter, RCC). Today, we shall do likewise, with another 95 reasons. However, in this critique, we will exclusively fixate on the nucleus of all Catholic doctrine called, Transubstantiation. This teaching is built on the premise that when the priest utters “This is my body” over bread and wine that the “combustible” syllables of these four words ignite with such power and energy that, unbeknownst to our cognizant senses, the substance of bread and wine miraculously change (“by the force of the words” says the Council of Trent; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1375). They are then abruptly replaced with something else entirely; namely, the very body, blood, soul and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ in some mysterious form which leaves only the outward appearance of bread and wine (i.e., the color, shape, size, taste, weight and texture -- or "accidental" properties, remain unchanged in objective reality). It is claimed that the supernatural power that creates this miracle on a daily basis, 24 hours a day in Masses worldwide, “is the same power of Almighty God that created the whole universe out of nothing at the beginning of time” (Mysterium Fidei, 47). The question is: does the sacred rhetoric of Jesus lead us to conclude He intended it be recited like a magician recites his incantations? (Reason 6, 74). That at the recitation of these four words, the world is obligated to be transfixed on Transubstantiation???

We should think that a rollercoaster of 95 reasons against this doctrine should at least pique your curiosity, let alone make you wonder if, like the calmness of a ferris wheel, you can so calmly refute them. The issue is far from inconsequential, since it’s claimed our very eternal destinies are at stake. So while sensitive to the fact that many are captivated by this doctrine, we are persuaded that the theological framework of the Bible conveys a persistent and vigorous opposition to this theory. God's word tells us to, "study to show yourself approved" (2 Tim 2:15) and we have indeed done just that.

The almost “romantic fidelity” to Transubstantiation springs forth from the opinion that consuming the “organic and substantial” body of Christ in the Eucharist is necessary for salvation (CCC 1129 & 1355; Trent, "Concerning Communion", ch. 1 and “Concerning Communion Under Both Kinds”, ch. 3; Canon 1; Mysterium Fidei, intro). Our burden here is to safeguard the gospel (Jude 1:3). If a religious system professing to be Christian is going to demand that something be done as a prerequisite for eternal life, it is vital to scrutinize this claim under the searchlight of Scripture and with “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Proverbs 25:2 says, "the honor of a king is to search out a matter". We shall do likewise.

Determined to test all things by Holy Writ (1 Thess 5:21; Acts 17:11, 2 Cor 10:5), the following 95 reasons have been compiled to an extravagant length to provoke you to consider the cognitive complexities of this doctrine which we conclude are biblically unbearable. We are so convinced the Bible builds a concrete case against this superstition, that we will not allow the things we have in common to suppress the more urgent need to confront the differences that divide us, such as Transubstantiation. We are told this issue directly impacts our eternal destiny, so it must not be ignored. The Lord Jesus came to divide and conquer by the truth of His word. He said, "Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division" (Luke 12:51-53).

For the full essay of 95 reasons, kindly e-mail me atEucharistangel@aol.com

SACRED HEART OF JESUS

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

WHO IS THE CARIBBEAN CATHOLIC

All my life I have been a rebel of some sort. Being a vocal Catholic in today's society is being a rebel. Many don't like you or your opinion. In fact they want you shut up and go away.... through this blog I will have my say.... Praise God for that.